New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly Announces The Arrest Of Four Individuals For Selling Narcotics In The Walt Whitman Houses In Brooklyn

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly today announced the arrest
of four individuals resulting from the takedown of key members of a drug dealing
organization operating in the Walt Whitman Houses in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Two
additional subjects in this case are already in federal custody on unrelated
charges. This marks the culmination of a 12-month investigation during which
undercover detectives purchased numerous bags of crack. The arrests are the
product of a joint investigation conducted by the 88th Precinct Detective Squad,
SAT COM Narcotics Operations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The gang
grossed approximately $480,000 a year from crack sales.

Police Commissioner Kelly said: “The boldness of this gang is staggering.
They have no consideration for the lives of citizens, the police, their
clientele or each other. The brave officers on this case performed brilliantly
in a high-pressure situation. I commend all the investigators from the various
agencies for their work in bringing these criminals to justice.”

This investigation began on April 30, 2003 when patrol officers from the 88th
Precinct observed an individual randomly firing a gun on the grounds of the Walt
Whitman Houses. The officers identified themselves to the individual. In
response, the man pointed his weapon at them. One of the officers discharged his
weapon striking the individual who ultimately expired from a gun shot wound.

Within a few hours, the Emergency Services Unit arrived to investigate the
scene of the shooting. While ESU collected ballistic evidence, gun shots rang
out and struck ESU Truck 8 at least three times. The Department subsequently
initiated a second investigation.

The two investigations established that the fatally shot individual belonged
to a drug dealing organization that operated in the Whitman Housing Development.
Further investigation revealed the structure of the organization and its
members. Additionally, the detectives learned that the shots fired at the ESU
truck were in retaliation for the man who was shot and killed. Police also
identified bullets from three different weapons fired on the ESU truck.

As investigators learned the gang’s make-up and practices, undercover
officers from SAT COM Narcotics Operations infiltrated the group and began
making purchases of crack cocaine. Over the course of the investigation,
undercover officers made 22 buys from 7 different members of the gang.

All of the arrested individuals face federal charges. The investigation is
ongoing and more arrests are expected.